After
a rainout in Mitchell on Thursday evening, the St Marys Mite Girls Fastball
team returned to action on Saturday as part of St Marys Baseball day taking on
Stratford at Teddy’s Field.
Natalie Johnston took the mound and faced five Stratford batters in the top of the first but kept them off the scoreboard while striking out three. In the bottom of the inning, St Marys also sent five batters to the plate, unfortunately Jillian Sterkenburg and Angelina Vanderwal were left stranded after both drew walks.
In the top of the second, Johnston surrendered four walks and hit two batters but hunkered down striking out three while allowing only two runs facing nine Stratford batters. Leading off the bottom of the second, Sarah Lynch and Rebecca Sleeper each drew walks and had a couple of quick of steals to have runners at second and third. Just when it looked like they were going to be stranded, Ava Ansley hit a two-out double bringing both Lynch and Sleeper home to tie the game at 2 – 2. Kaitlyn deBoer then drew a walk followed by Sterkenburg getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Vanderwal stepped in earning a walk and collecting an RBI bringing home Ansley for the 3 – 2 lead. That was all St Marys would cash in as the ninth batter of the inning struck out.
In the top of the third, deBoer came on in relief and picked up a quick strikeout to start the inning. Unfortunately, that was the only out of the inning as Stratford cashed in five runs which is the maximum runs allowed for an inning as Stratford took a 7 – 3 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Lynch led off with a single followed by Sleeper and Johnston who each drew walks to load the bases. Karissa Waghorn stepped in but fell behind in the count before battling back picking up a walk to bring Lynch home. Ansley followed with a RBI fielders-choice as Sleeper came home and Waghorn was called out at second. With runners at first and third, and trailing 7 – 5, deBoer stepped in and absolutely crushed a two run triple to tie the game at 7 – 7 and leaving herself in scoring position. She didn’t have to wait long, as Sterkenburg stepped up and picked up a single for the game winning RBI as St Marys took Stratford 8 – 7.
The Mites travel to Shakespeare on Monday in their next Huron/Perth Fastball action.